Pedunculate oak
Quercus robur
Family · Fagaceae · Harmless
The oak of the humid northwest, the one that makes the woods of Minho and Gerês. A leaf with rounded lobes and acorns on a long stalk, the detail behind its scientific name.
Oak woods · Uplands · Streams and ditches
Also known asEnglish oak, common oak
How to tell it
A leaf with rounded lobes and two small ears at the base, almost stalkless. The acorns, by contrast, hang on a long stalk. Deciduous.
What it is confused with
Pyrenean oak
Quercus pyrenaica
Pyrenean oak has a bigger leaf with deep pointed lobes, softly hairy on both sides, and keeps its dead leaves through winter. Pedunculate oak has a smooth leaf and drops them all.
What it is for
Construction and cooperage timber for centuries, and the acorn fed livestock across the northwest. A mature oak wood supports more species than any other Portuguese forest.
Where it occurs
Each square is an area with recorded observations of this plant. The lighter background is the set of areas where any of the entries has been observed, and serves as a reference. Note what this is not: it is not where the plant lives, it is where people record it, so trails and towns always look fuller than the mountains. Data from GBIF.
Sources
Community
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